How Good It Could Be
by LNHWrites
Summary: Falliam AU: After Fallon's wedding disaster, Jeff spreads damaging lies about her in the media, and Blake gives Fallon an ultimatum: Get her act together, or get lost. In her need to escape the manor, she happens upon a book signing for one Liam Ridley - a well-known business journalist that she thinks might be able to help her get back in her father's good graces.
1. Chapter 1

**Here's a cheeky new AU for ya. The characters might be mildly OOC because I'm switching up circumstances and such, but the idea was fun, so I'm going with it anyway. Haha.**

**Disclaimer: I wish.**

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Fallon Carrington was deep – exceptionally deep – into a shame spiral that had started several months earlier. Her father had remarried without much warning at all, she'd been looked over by the new wife herself for the job she wanted, and she had quite literally almost married a man who she didn't even know was her cousin. But that wasn't the worst of it, now.

In the aftermath of Jeff's server being hacked and Anders stopping the wedding, Fallon had lost Michael, who she'd always thought was a sure thing. Maybe not permanent, and maybe it was terrible of her to think it, but she really had believed that he would always be there.

More upsetting than her sudden lack of that safety and comfort, though, was Blake's reaction when he called her into the office, her wedding dress still flowing around her as she walked. "You should be happy, Daddy," she told him as he closed the door and walked past her to lean against his desk. "We fixed it."

"No, you caused it. I'm the one that fixed it."

Fallon rolled her eyes, but she knew he was right. Technically. "If you'd told me the truth about Jeff instead of making me wait for Grandpa to revolt about it, this wouldn't have happened."

"Perhaps. But it doesn't change the fact that you've been nothing but problematic since you returned from Denver. With Cristal, especially, but now this as well." Blake shook his head, and Fallon started to worry that the victory would end up being all for nothing. At least on her end. "This is on you. I told you not to get close to Jeff, but you did it anyway. And I should have given you far less reign to make mistakes like this than I did. I'm not making a poor decision like that again, Fallon."

"...What does that mean?"

"I'm only going to give you so long to turn things around. You think this won't hit the news tomorrow morning? Or that the fallout with Cristal combined with this Colby mess won't tarnish the Carrington name? If you believe that, you're more naive than you seem."

Fallon settled her hands on her hips, looking at the floor and sighing heavily. Then she lifted her chin again. "I'll fix it, Blake."

"You're damn right you will. If anything else happens, you're done, Fallon."

She stood up straighter. "Excuse me?"

"Either you repair your reputation as a Carrington, or you can see yourself out. You put on quite a show today, and have done for months. People are noticing. So I expect you to improve yourself. If you do, then I will give you a leadership position. We'll buy Morell Corp, integrate it, and you'll have the sort of position you've always wanted."

"I _wanted_ the COO position."

"Perhaps," Blake shrugged. "But it's too late for that unless Cristal decides to forgive you. So perhaps you should work on your relationship with her, as well. You have six months, Fallon. And if nothing changes, you know what'll happen."

She turned her chin away, thinking it over. Blake was surely overreacting. The story would hit the press the next morning, yes, but it would pass as soon as some bigger scandal happened. Of course it would.

Or so she thought.

It wasn't Fallon's face that headlined stories the next morning. It was Jeff's. Her pictures were buried deeper in articles where he dragged her through the mud with scandalous lies that even Fallon didn't have an immediate response for. The worst one was the claim that she had gotten into Steven's stash, implying that the drugs she'd never actually taken had caused her to make questionable decisions. That, mixed with his not-subtle-enough suggestion that he could do better than her anyway, made it clear that leveling her own accusations against his morality would not go over well.

Would anyone even listen if she told the truth about his law-breaking? Maybe not. She just couldn't think of who else could do it for her.

Being a Carrington was exhausting. She just wanted a break from it, honestly. So rather than waiting around for her father to yell at her again – especially now that things were, indeed, as bad if not worse than he'd expected – she asked Anders to have her car pulled around. Michael was clearly confused as she snatched the keys from him, walking past without more than a glance to make sure her aim on the keychain was accurate when she reached for it. But she ignored him, getting in and slamming the door shut before he found it in him to question her behavior.

She left Buckhead and headed straight for downtown Atlanta, looking for something different from what she usually did. Something... normal people did. Of course, with Fallon being who she was, that took a bit of thought, so it was nice to have that drive in which to mull it over.

She found a little shopping complex and parked at a meter that she thought would be visible no matter which store she went into. As soon as she'd paid for a couple of hours, just in case, Fallon looked around and made her way into a cafe to seek out some tea.

Standing in line was frustrating to be sure, but there was no way around it, and actually she realized that it was giving her the time she needed to relax. Interestingly, no one was looking at her funny, which Fallon realized she should've thought over in advance. She was already out and about, regardless, so she figured it was too late to start caring about someone recognizing her. Even if they did, the odds of someone approaching a woman who was, _apparently_, crazy seemed quite low.

Tea in hand, Fallon hoped that the drink would bring her some sort of calm. But then a loud round of applause went up behind her and she whipped around in shock and confusion. Through a side door, the cafe led into a bookstore, where an author was completing an event. People started lining up to have their newly-bought copies signed, as the author sat himself down at a table.

Fallon lifted an eyebrow, wondering what sort of author could pull such a crowd, and slowly wandered that direction. When the bookstore employees started handing out sticky notes for the attendees to write their names on, for the author's ease when it came to spelling, the author looked around at the group, a broad smile on his face. Until his gaze swept across Fallon and the smile faded to surprise and curiosity.

She froze, staring back at him. He was gorgeous, but completely unfamiliar – though his attention certainly suggested to Fallon that he knew who she was, at least a little bit.

The first person in line stepped forward, pulling him back to what he was supposed to be doing – greeting, chatting and signing. Without his gaze locked on hers, Fallon let out a relieved breath. He hadn't made a scene, but also even Fallon could admit that there was something shockingly intense about his gaze. Resuming her typically sardonic internal tone of voice, Fallon made note of just how many female fans this guy seemed to have.

She stepped aside, trying to get safely out of his line of sight, and walked up to the sign announcing the author event. There was a large picture of the man, next to the cover of his book. It looked like an adult fiction novel, or maybe a romance a-la Nicholas Sparks. Her eyes dropped to his name and her jaw actually dropped.

Liam Ridley? He was an exceptionally well-known journalist despite his relatively young age, but that was even before he started publishing novels. Even Fallon had heard of him, though more because of his articles in the business sector than because of his creative writing. She just hadn't bothered to click on his name before to see what he looked like. Which, honestly, was a pity.

Fallon wanted to check in with someone at Carrington Atlantic to see if Ridley had ever done an article about them – because perhaps that was why he recognized her. But Blake was too mad at her to answer. So she hesitated slightly before texting Cristal. After Cristal had seen fit to support Fallon despite the wedding debacle, perhaps they had turned over a new leaf?

Cristal replied quickly, much to Fallon's surprise, explaining that Mr. Ridley had done an article on CA just after Cristal first got her job there. She'd hoped to foster a positive relationship between his paper and the company, but he had soon after left to start his writing career and she'd had to look elsewhere for that help.

So Fallon had to assume that his experience with the company was why he knew her. She didn't want to believe it was because of the articles, honestly. Not when this man potentially had the connections she might need to restore her reputation.

"Can I help you find anything?"

Fallon looked over at the bookseller that had walked up to her, offering a friendly smile. "Oh, not unless you have another copy of Mr. Ridley's book. I found out too late to get a ticket for the event and would really love the chance to have him sign mine."

The employee's smile turned conspiratorial as she leaned in a little. "He's an incredible writer, isn't he? Come with me; I'll get you one and you can pay at the counter when you leave."

So Fallon followed them over to the back of the line, feeling like she might've just gotten incredibly lucky.


	2. Chapter 2

**Slow writer is slow. But who's surprised? Had some medical stuff to deal with for the family lately, so now that that's dealt with and my graduate program is done (WOO!), I'm trying to schedule out time to just relax with some Falliam fanfic writing, haha.**

**One of y'all asked about my favorite Dynasty characters and ships. My favorite character is actually Sam, with Falliam of course taking the top ship spot! But I'd say that in terms of individuals, it goes Sam, then Liam, then Fallon. S1 it was Fallon all the way, though, haha.**

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The line moved slowly, which Fallon both expected and hated. Everyone seemed to ignore her in favor of quietly talking to each other about the book, or about its author, and frankly that was a relief. No one seemed to notice that she hadn't been part of the group during whatever else had happened during the event. Better yet, none of them seemed to recognize her.

It wasn't at all surprising to her that at least ninety percent of the gathered audience members were female. In truth, Liam was gorgeous, and based on the attempted conversation made by the bookseller who had put Fallon at the end of the line, he was talented. Or at least knew how to pander to a female audience, which even Fallon could admit was a talent within itself.

As the line got shorter and Fallon got closer, she started noticing something else: He kept looking at her.

Someone would offer him their book, give some compliment or attempt at a conversation starter, wait while he signed, and give him a likely too-enthusiastic thank you, and then leave. And depending on when Fallon glanced over, it seemed that between any of those steps, the odds were that he had looked her way. Sure, he was subtle about it. None of the other attendees seemed to notice. But Fallon was quickly becoming unnerved by it, and after a while, stopped looking his way at all.

It wasn't until she was practically at the table that she finally looked at him again. Only one person was in front of her, and she couldn't help but listen in.

"Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?" The woman asked, which was rather foolish considering any real fan should've known about his journalism career, which he presumably had gone to college for.

"I did, actually," he confirmed, nodding as he checked the sticky note inside her copy of the book so he could spell her name correctly. "But not for fiction, when I started out."

The woman – Susan, apparently - laughed unnecessarily, and Fallon nearly rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm glad you switched," Susan told him. It earned her a polite smile from Liam, and she actually blushed in response.

Fallon bit back a sarcastic laugh and turned her head away as she thanked him and wandered off. It wasn't lost on either of them, Fallon figured, that some of the people there for the signing were lingering in the shop, as if thinking they could find a way to chat with him alone after the event. Unfortunately for them, the Carrington heir was pretty sure she had his time on lock, judging by the openly curious look on his face as she took that last step forward to stand across from him.

"Fallon Carrington," he greeted, an amused lilt to his voice.

She nodded slowly, setting her copy of his book down between them. "So you do know who I am."

He reached out, sliding the book closer to himself, taking out the sticky note with her name on it, setting it aside so he could sign. "Of course I do," he replied as he wrote, clearly practiced in multitasking like this. "What's interesting, however, is that you're here. I didn't think your family kept up with my writing after I left the magazine."

"We don't," she replied bluntly.

He looked up, then laughed a little and shook his head before looking down and capping his pen. He shut the book and picked it up, handing it back to her so she could tuck it into her bag. "So you just happened to be interested in this signing?"

Fallon shrugged nonchalantly. "I was in the area." She held up her drink. "I just recognized your name, actually."

Liam stood up, making clear that he was a little taller than her. He stood casually, like he was humble enough in himself to not need to be intimidating, but confident enough not to close himself off, either. His hands slid into his pockets as he smiled. "Guess that means an invitation for coffee isn't on the table."

Her eyebrows lifted in faux surprise. Well, partial surprise. She knew she was the sort of girl that men were interested in, and moreover, she'd sought him out. But Liam seemed different in a way she couldn't place. A slow smile curved her lips as she shrugged again.

"I don't know," she offered. "I actually had something I wanted to ask you, too."

It was his turn to look surprised, shifting his weight to stand a little straighter. "Dinner tonight?"

Fallon didn't respond right away. Instead, she took her phone out, flipping to the address book page and handing it over. "I'll let you know when and where," she said, a slight, teasing smile giving away the fact that she wasn't as stern or overbearing as she probably sounded.

He hardly seemed to notice, just quickly typing in his contact information and handing her phone back to her. "See you later, then."

She nodded, turning around to head for the door without looking back.

Fallon texted him a few hours later, giving him a bit to sweat over just to see how he reacted. If he was going to get upset about something so trivial, then he certainly wouldn't be a viable choice for what she needed him to accomplish. She stopped at the manor, managing to avoid talking to anyone for more than a few moments as she made her way upstairs and to her room.

She should've used her recently-earned trust fund, perhaps, to buy herself an apartment somewhere so she could avoid the house, but it wasn't exactly reasonable when she was still living in Atlanta in her determination to build Morrel Corp up enough to horrify her father. Or at least stress him out, as he always stressed her out.

Besides, it would be more fun to watch his horror in person.

She dressed up almost too much – she had to make a good impression, after all. She'd done well with her first impression, but it was up to her to convince him that the idea she had was a good one. All she really needed was a few connections, a few sightings as a responsible, put-together woman, and maybe an article or two saying she was back to her old self. Back on top.

It seemed, however, like he was interested in something more. At least based on that dinner invitation, anyway. And would that really be so bad? He would only help her reputation. Fallon had essentially led Michael on for years – she could admit it, now. And in truth, she still had that raging jealousy within her when it came to Culhane.

But maybe it wouldn't be so very terrible to pretend she was interested in this Liam Ridley guy until she was back to normal.

So she chose her favorite black dress, did her hair and makeup, and grabbed her bag before heading right back out the door. She caught a confused look from Sam as she did, but Fallon ignored him, instead asking for a car to be brought around. She decided it was a better idea to drive herself again, rather than have to deal with any judgmental stares or questions from Michael.

Fallon slid into the driver's seat, buckled up, and made her way to her first of who knew how many meetings with Liam.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow, I'm the worst, huh? Life has been insane and work has been extra crazy on top of that. However, with the new season I've been more and more anxious to get back to writing, and feeling worse and worse about how long it's been. I don't know what my update schedule will be like, and I honestly might stick to just one story at a time depending on how I'm doing. But I'll give it my best go and try to be consistent.**

**Also, I'd very much like it if y'all left me prompts for one-shots or things like that. I'm not overly skilled at writing shorter pieces, but I'd like to give some a go, and honestly all of my ideas are based on current episodes for S3 and that's fine, but I don't want to get all repetitive. So if anyone has requests, let me know! **

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Fallon wasn't late to dinner. Not really. But if being early meant being on time, then she was _technically_ late. Not that she'd ever admit it. No, she walked into the restaurant precisely on time. If she thought hard enough about it, she would've registered that doing so was an attempt at giving Liam a chance to be early. At the same time, of course, Fallon was consistently in need of control. So it was also a means of testing his patience.

She walked through the front door, glancing at the host that held it open for her before her eyes swept over the restaurant in search of her date. She slowed to a stop when she didn't see Liam at any of the tables, her face falling as she fully registered her surprise. It didn't make sense. Maybe he was just late, she mused, sighing quietly to herself.

There wasn't anyone at the host stand when Fallon approached, so she leaned against it to take out her phone, thinking Liam might have sent her a message to say he wouldn't be there on time. Nothing. She reached back down, sliding her phone into her clutch, but jumped when she felt a sudden tap at her shoulder.

"There you are," Liam said, looking a little relieved.

Fallon let out a breath, equally glad to know that she hadn't been stood up. "Do you often sneak up on people?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "No. You just seem to be very focused. I'll warn you when I'm approaching next time."

She let out a quiet _hmm_ of consideration, but didn't have a chance to respond before they were being greeted. The host gestured towards Fallon, but looked to Liam as she asked, "Is this the rest of your party?"

He nodded, merely smiling when Fallon shot him a bemused look. He just gestured in the direction the host began walking, letting Fallon go first. Still, he caught up in time to pull out her chair at the two-top table the host had taken them to.

Much to Fallon's approval, the table was off in one corner, where she figured they had a much lower chance of being overheard. She looked up at him as he helped her scoot her chair back in, and found herself smiling as he walked around to sit opposite her. A gentleman, indeed. Liam looked down as he pulled his chair in as well, only looking up once he'd settled in – but when he did, and he caught sight of the growing amusement on her face, a little smile of his own appeared.

"What?" He asked, after the host left their menus and walked off.

"Nothing," Fallon claimed too quickly. He lifted a skeptical eyebrow and she pretended to consider for a moment before giving in. "I'm just a little impressed."

"Only a little?" Liam fired back, his smile turning into a smirk. "I'll have to try harder, then."

Taken aback, Fallon pursed her lips together. This wasn't exactly the most unusual sort of exchange for her, but he was really holding his own. And more importantly, he was actually amusing her, which she hadn't expected. Sure, he was attractive, and talented enough at what he loved to be successful both as a journalist and a novelist. Not that she'd read any of the book he'd signed that afternoon. But she would be foolish not to recognize the facts for what they were:

Liam was successful, gorgeous, and clever. He was therefore, in Fallon's opinion, precisely what she needed. And with that decided, she just had to make sure that she got him.

Their waiter appeared at the table, taking their drink order, and walked off again, leaving them in somewhat comfortable silence as they both perused the menu. Fallon decided quickly, of course, and set the menu aside. When she looked up at him, he was still reading through one of the pages, and it gave her a moment to observe him.

He was polite, it seemed, and was clearly interested in her. Unless he somehow thought he could get something out of knowing her in a manner similar to her own plans. Fallon doubted it, though. As far as she could tell, a couple of internet searches in, Liam Ridley seemed to have everything together. How in the world was he even single?

Liam looked up, then set his menu on top of hers before folding his hands together in front of him on the table. "So. You said earlier that you had something you wanted to ask me."

"You don't really think I'll give myself away this easily do you? I haven't even had drink yet, much less dinner."

"I expected you to be up to something. But I'll admit, I wasn't sure how patient you'd be."

Fallon shrugged one shoulder, glancing around the restaurant as an attempt at playing it cool. "Can't fault you for that. My family isn't usually the type to wait for anything. But that doesn't always work for me the way I'd hope. So let's just say I'm trying something new."

Liam nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. I get what it's like to try and do what your family wants. Especially when you know it isn't the right way to do something."

Her face fell slightly as the whole wedding fiasco came to mind again. It was never particularly far off, but she didn't like to think very hard about it. He tilted his head at her curiously, but it did nothing at all to convince Fallon that she needed to go ahead and share everything all at once. Best to start slow.

"I must admit," she began slowly, "I was surprised when you recognized me. I'm pretty sure I would've remembered meeting you."

"I wasn't brave enough to approach you before, actually. Sure wish I had been."

Fallon felt the smirk pulling at her lips, amused but a little impressed by how forthright he was. "I don't know. While I'm usually the impatient one, I suppose there might be something to be said for waiting until the right time. Sometimes."

Liam grinned, leaning forward over the table. "And you're saying that _now _is the right time?"

Fallon started to offer a snarky comment to keep him on his toes, but the waiter returned. It was only then that she realized she'd started leaning forward to match him, and she only did so because she had to sit back in order to look at their waiter properly. One hand reached up to brush a curl over her shoulder in an attempt at playing it cool.

He waited for her to order first, which she did with an odd amount of confidence and finality, considering it was just a meal at a restaurant. Liam was much more casual about it, and he offered polite thanks as they walked off again before nudging her drink towards her hand.

"Cheers," he said, lifting his own glass. "To timing."

Fallon clinked her glass with his, eyeing him over the rim as she took a sip of her go-to drink. She'd picked this place because they made the best food in Buckhead, but the bartenders were excellent, too. Just the right tang of sour, with the bright freshness of the mint. Another positive to her surprisingly good date. Or, sort of date. Maybe if she stopped accepting that it kind of was one, she'd be able to get back to business.

Was it better to ask her favor of him now? Or to wait until the food was here so he felt like he had to stay and eat it rather than letting it go to waste? Either way, she doubted that he would actually stick around until the check showed up, but that was fair enough, considering.

After she set her glass back down, Fallon clasped her hands and set them on the table. "I think this is the part where I admit that I did an internet search about you," she told him seriously, her expression unwavering when he started to chuckle but stopped. "I mean, you're clearly a successful author. But you never know with people these days, do you?"

Liam nodded slowly, leveling her with a matching look. "That's true. You never know who just ran out on a wedding the day before."

"There it is."

He smiled wryly, his hands turning palms-up in a sort of small shrug gesture. "I think you would've been more surprised if I hadn't checked. But what I'm interested in... is the fact that you said yes to dinner. And that you actually texted me."

"Off the record?" She began, lifting an eyebrow as if daring him to ever say anything bad about her. "I didn't want to marry him. He was prying into my family and we used it as a decoy to stop him. As soon as the opportunity arose to destroy me, he took it."

"I don't know," Liam replied. "You don't look that bad to me." He laughed as she narrowed her eyes, holding his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. You look great. I just mean that while the general public might take him seriously, not everyone will."

"You hardly know me."

"True. But that doesn't mean I don't want to."

Fallon looked away instantly, swirling her drink around a little. "Okay... Then there's something else you deserve to know." Her gaze snapped back to his, unwavering that time. "I didn't marry Jeff, in part, because I wanted to marry someone else. But for what it's worth, they said no."

He leaned back in his seat, visibly taken aback by her honesty. It took him a few moments to come up with something to say in response, and when he did, Fallon was baffled as well. "You don't sound surprised by that."

"...I was at the time. But, looking back, it isn't all that shocking."

While Liam waited for her to elaborate, which she was definitely not going to do, Fallon contemplated how much of a hole she was making for herself. Maybe she should've just kept her mouth shut and gone the dating route. Sure, it would've been fake, but at least he wouldn't be looking at her with a mix of surprise (which she appreciated), and pity (which she absolutely didn't).

"If you're going to keep looking at me like that, we're going to have to call it a night," she warned him. "You could at least wait until we've eaten something."

He had the decency to look embarrassed, which was a relief, but he took another drink of the beer he'd ordered, and Fallon could only assume it was an attempt at buying time to think of something decent to say. Liam set the glass down, gazing at it for a moment. "Sorry," he told her finally. "I'm not trying to judge you. I'm really not. I'm just... I don't know why you're here if you've been going through so much. Seems like it would be a lot."

He certainly wasn't wrong about that one. It _was_ a lot, having your father threaten to disown you for things that technically were only half your fault. It was certainly more Jeff's fault than her own, after all. She'd chosen to believe in someone for once and had it blow back in her face. So really, Liam had a point. Why would she put her faith in a stranger like this? Fallon wasn't sure. But it was the best plan she had. And once she found a better one, she could move on to that and tell him, _Thanks, but no thanks._

"That's true," Fallon admitted. "But that's why I need your help. That thing I wanted to ask you? I'm not entirely sure you'll like it, but I need to ask anyway."

"All right. Go for it."

"The thing is-" She pointed a threatening finger at him, "-and this better not end up in any news outlets or I'll know full well it was you."

"Easy, Carrington," he said, almost teasingly. "It won't. Just ask me."

"Well... My father's given me an ultimatum, after yesterday. I have to make the people think I'm cleaning up my act, apparently." She rolled her eyes dramatically, making excessively clear that she thought the whole ordeal was absurd. "So I was trying to come up with a solution. And there you were."

Liam's eyebrows pulled together sharply. "Me? Why?"

"You have the professional background. You're successful as an author, which can easily be spun into something charming-"

"Because being an author isn't charming?" He actually cracked a smile at her reproachful look.

"Not what I meant, actually."

Liam moved his drink out of the way as the waiter arrived with their meal, and Fallon could only hope that it meant he was going to wait this one out rather than calling her insane and heading out. In fact, he went straight for his napkin, placing it in his lap, then picked up his fork. When he glanced up, he realized she hadn't moved and was just staring at him.

"...What?"

Fallon squinted at him. "You're remarkably fine with all of this."

He poked at the roasted carrots on his plate, lifting a shoulder to shrug. "I'm a writer. I'd be more surprised if someone like me didn't want to follow the story to see where it leads."

"Are you saying you want to help me? Or that you want to watch to see if I crash and burn?"

"I can't do both?"

Fallon let out a quiet _hmm_, reaching again for her drink. She nearly dropped it, however, when he reached a hand over without warning to encourage her to put it back down.

"Fallon," he said gently. "I'll help you. On one condition." She nodded, so he went on. "No more talking about it tonight. I asked you to dinner for a reason. And even if you didn't agree for the same one, you at least deserve a break from it all. Just... relax for a bit, yeah?"

"I'm not entirely sure I know how to do that."

"How about _you_ ask _me_ the questions, to start? We'll see how we get along, and tomorrow we can start on whatever plan I'm sure is already brewing in that head of yours."

It took her a moment to concede, but he was oddly charming, and she really did want a moment to breathe before she kicked anything off. If her plan made things worse, she would be done for in her father's eyes. So she needed to take this extremely seriously. However, the food looked amazing, she still had most of her drink left, and an admittedly attractive man was sitting across from her, openly interested in genuinely getting to know her. Not for her family name, but for Fallon herself.

So she nodded, picking her drink back up to take a longer drink than before. "All right, then, Mr. Ridley," she said as she set her drink back down and reached for her silverware. Fallon fought back a smile at his amused grin. "First question."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Happy (American) Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope this update is a good gift, since I can't exactly offer food through whatever device you're reading this on. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

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Over the course of the evening, Fallon learned an almost impressive number of things about Liam. Most of them were actually things she saw as good, and a number of them were frustrating. But, much to her surprise, the frustrating things somehow registered as charming. And Fallon wasn't quite sure what to do with that feeling.

The most important thing that Fallon learned that night was arguably that Liam had a book tour he was about to leave the state for. It made sense, of course, given his event that afternoon. She just wasn't sure what to do with that information. If he was gone for two weeks, how could they really make plans? He would be too busy with all of his appointments. Not that Fallon wanted much to come out about them so soon after the wedding when she was being cast as the jilted one who wasn't good enough, and was too much of a risk. It would be a really bad image for her, and just make things worse.

She didn't want to bring those worries up, though. He wanted a proper dinner with no plotting and scheming. So instead, she asked about his book, and was surprised to find that it was a mystery novel with a romantic subplot, as he informed her he had loved mysteries and thrillers growing up, but wanted the book to be more widely marketable. She had pointed out his overwhelmingly female audience, based on the group that afternoon, and he had the grace to look embarrassed, his ears actually turning a bit red under her attentive gaze. That was one of those frustratingly charming things she'd been thinking of before.

He also told her a little about his family. A sister he didn't see anymore, an overbearing mother, and a stepfather he felt sure was in it for the money. But evidently the guy was kind, and took care of his mother, Laura, so Liam didn't mind.

Oh. And there was the little thing about his pen name. How he had legally changed his name when he got into journalism to pull away from his family and their reputation. Fallon didn't understand that urge at all. Names were important – fundamental, even. She couldn't imagine giving up the Carrington name for anything. It offered too many benefits despite the negatives within her immediate family. Then again Steven hadn't changed his name but he had certainly managed the pulling away part, anyways. She decided she would have to ask him about that later.

By the end of the meal, Fallon was astounded to notice that her cheeks hurt a little from smiling, and even laughing, so much. He was incredibly easy to get along with, and that was dangerous for someone like her.

It wasn't until he stood to walk her out that he allowed a larger sliver of reality to creep back in. "So," he began, one hand at the small of her back and the other in his pants pocket. "Do you already have your whole plan figured out? Or did you need someone to bounce ideas off of?"

Fallon actually wasn't sure. "How about I call you before you leave tomorrow? To let you know."

Liam nodded. "Works for me." They stopped just outside the restaurant's doors, waiting for their cars to be brought around by the valets. "But," he added, stepping a little closer to her, "you know you could always call me after I leave, too."

"I don't think whatever airline they've got you flying on will have in-air cell service."

Liam shook his head, chuckling. "No, that's true. My publisher wouldn't shell out that much for a debut author. No matter how good the reviews are. I meant, I'll be gone for two weeks. There will be plenty of time to talk."

Fallon lifted an eyebrow. "You're asking me to call you while you're gone?"

He shrugged one shoulder, looking slightly sheepish. "Only if you feel like it. I know it's probably just business for you, but I had a good time tonight. For whatever it's worth, I'd happily do this again."

Fallon wasn't entirely sure why a pleased smirk appeared on her face, but she couldn't claim to be surprised, either. He wanted a second date. A real relationship with calls and texts and dinners. It was bizarrely refreshing despite being entirely not her style. "We'll see. I'm more of a, take-things-as-they-come sort of girl when romance is involved."

"Sounds like you're been hurt a lot," he observed, catching her off guard. When she didn't reply, he held up a hand in apology. "Sorry. Too early to get all personal like that, huh?"

She didn't say anything to that, either. The problem was, he was completely right. She _had_ been hurt. A lot. Mostly by her own doing, but it didn't help that she was the sort of woman that men saw fit to use on a regular basis. Fallon realized she'd been quiet for too long when his hand brushed her upper arm and he added:

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Fallon. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she replied finally. "It's just been a strange week."

"I get that," Liam agreed, drawing his hand back to slip that one into his other pocket. "Whatever your pace is, I'm here for it. You just let me know."

He started backing away, and it took Fallon a second to realize it was because the valet had arrived with his car. She instinctively took a few steps forward, awaiting the arrival of her own, which followed shortly behind. They collected their keys, and Liam walked around the back of his car to stand by the driver's side door of hers. She looked at him funny, but he gestured towards the door and she understood.

Clicking the button on her key fob, she unlocked the car as she walked around to stand beside him. Liam leaned down to open the door for her, smiling as he waved his free hand towards the seat inside. Fallon stepped forwards, her hand reaching for the top of the door to balance her. It landed on top of his own, much to the surprise of both of them, and her eyes locked onto his has she looked back up.

"Have a good rest of your night, Fallon."

She nodded a little, unintentionally holding her breath. It wasn't against her nature to just go for it in moments like this one. The different, though was that behind the head Liam was clearly trying to reel back, his eyes were too open and kind. Sort of warm, if blue eyes could be called warm. And that made her nervous. What if she didn't want him to feel something for her? She shouldn't encourage it.

So she didn't. Fallon just smirked, sliding into her seat. "I'll call you."

Liam nodded, smiling, and shut the door for her.

* * *

Fallon flounced down the stairs of the Carrington manor the next morning, just as much pep in her step as she usually had. As if nothing had gone wrong at all. In two hours, she would call Liam with her brand new, well thought out plan, and everything would be set in motion. But first?

Breakfast. Bacon, to be exact.

She could smell it as she approached the dining table, a little relieved to spot Steven and Sam there, and nobody else. Fallon pulled her usual chair back, settling in and immediately reaching for the desired delicious, greasy indulgence. It was one of the few she allowed herself, and she couldn't think of a better choice.

"Fallon," Sam began, leaning forward across the table. "How long would I have to sit if I wanted a portrait made of myself? You've done that, right?"

Fallon looked up, expression openly judgmental. "What, exactly, makes you think anyone wants to look at a portrait of you?"

"Have you seen me?" He asked, deadly serious as he tilted his head at her.

Steven spoke up from down the table, clearly amused. "I don't think it would be worth your time, Sam."

"That's hardly true," Fallon cut in before Sam could agree. "I'd be more concerned about the person you can't actually afford to pay. Just take a picture and have someone edit it to look like a portrait. Much cheaper. And faster."

"...Rude," Sam muttered, dropping his chin to keep eating. Steven reached over to pat Sam's shoulder, then turned to Fallon.

"You're in a mood," he pointed out. "I thought you and dad were in a fight."

Fallon scoffed, picking up the water glass that had been set out for her to take a drink from it. "He'll get over it. I'm more concerned about my projects than his issues."

"What kinds of projects?"

She smiled a little. "No spoilers, Steven. You'll find out soon enough. Now. I have somewhere to be. You two try not to get into another spat, hmm?"

Fallon snagged one last piece of bacon in one hand and an apple in the other, before pushing back from the table. As she walked towards the front door, she ate her way through the bacon, her chewing becoming a little more tense once their eyes were no longer on her to notice the anxiety beneath her facade.

As she walked through the front door, she was shocked to feel her phone vibrating in her jacket pocket, indicating an incoming call. She drew it out, and her expression became all the more confused as she slowed to a stop to answer it.

"Liam?"

"Hey, just checking in. I know you said you'd call, but the airport's website is saying security lines are insanely long, so I didn't want to miss you if I'm stuck without access to my phone. Is now a good time to talk?"

Fallon shrugged even though he couldn't see her, and lifted the apple to tilt it from side to side as she replied. "Sure, that's fine."

"Great. What have you got up your sleeve, then?" He asked, actually sounding a little excited.

"Well," she mused, pacing slowly back in forth in front of the door. "In two weeks, you'll come back. By then, there'll be a rumor floating around about how long you've been interested in me, and how you heard what happened at the wedding, so you reached out."

"Ah," Liam replied with a laugh, "so I get to be the pathetic, pining one, then?"

"_Or_," she pointed out with mild irritation, "you could be the hero, Mr. Writer."

He just laughed again, and Fallon could almost picture him nodding as he did so. "That doesn't sound as bad as I expected it all to be."

"You haven't met my family properly," she reminded him, her tone both warning and reproachful. She didn't need him getting overly confident before they even got around to the act of faking anything. "For all I know, you'll have one conversation with them and want right back out."

"I guess that's fair," Liam agreed. "So what's in it for me, then?"

Fallon was honestly a little impressed that he'd asked, considering he had seemed, up until then, to be a bit of a pushover. At least when it came to her. But on the other hand, he'd seemed to be hoping for something specific after the end of their date: Namely, another one. "If you help me," she began slowly, half expecting him to just laugh at her and change his mind once she said it aloud, "...then we can try this for real."

"Oh," he said in surprise.

"_But_," Fallon added quickly, her voice a little higher pitched in her desire to make herself fully understood, "if it doesn't work out for us that way, you can't act like Jeff did. We both deserve the right to back out if something changes. I won't accept anyone else lying about me."

"Take it easy, Fallon," Liam said gently. "I have no intention of hurting you."

She shifted her weight, gripping the apple in her hand a little too tightly. "Are you saying you're in?"

"Are you asking me out?" He asked lightly.

"Liam."

"Yes, Fallon?"

She sighed, shaking her head, even as a tiny, secretly amused smile worked its way onto her face. "When you get back from your tour, I would really like it if we could go out again," she said, enunciating carefully and purposefully, even as her tone dripped with sarcasm.

"I would love that," he agreed, obviously pleased. "But I meant what I said before. If you ever want to talk plans, or just... need someone to listen, you can call me while I'm on tour, anyway. I'll send you my schedule."

Rather than indulge him any further, Fallon hung up on him and tucked her phone into her pocket. At first, she just stood there, confused by her own decisions. On the one hand, she didn't feel too bad about potentially leading him on. He had to know there was a chance of it, given she'd been clear about her goals. But on the other hand, she actually found him to be rather interesting. And that? _That_ was a problem.

She took a rather frustrated bite out of her apple, her brow furrowing, before she turned around and went back inside.


End file.
